Some sites run an FTP server on the same computer as MOVEit Automation . Remote servers or mainframes send files to MOVEit Automation via FTP, and MOVEit Automation tasks process the files. For better performance and reliability, the local FTP directory is configured as a filesystem source rather than an FTP source.

In a failover scenario, the following types of problems can occur:

  • If MOVEit Automation server A fails after some files have been sent to MOVEit Automation , but before the related task runs, those files are not transferred when the secondary server B takes over, because they are on the failed computer. (If MOVEit Automation has been set to use filesystem notifications, this time window is short.) If the new primary B fails days, weeks, or months later, the old, unprocessed files on server A might be processed when it becomes the primary. Depending on how tasks are configured, this coulc cause obsolete files to be sent, confusing the recipient.
  • Remote processes that have been programmed to send files to FTP server A might not know to send those files to FTP server B if A is down.

These problems can be addressed with features built into Microsoft Windows which allow you to create a single system image from two FTP servers:

To address these problems, use the following Microsoft Windows features to create a single system system image from two FTP servers

  • Use Distributed File System to create a single storage area into which files sent via FTP to either of the MOVEit Automation computers are stored. See FTP Replication - DFS.
  • Use Network Load Balancing to assign a single IP address that can be used by remote computers to access either FTP server as if the two were a single computer. See FTP Replication - NLB.

See also Failover Overview.